Iranian Assassin? Not Quite Agent 007...

Questions have also been raised as to why the Iranians, as the government reported, relied on an Iranian American, Mansour J. Arbabsiar, who is a used car salesman; he in turn reportedly outsourced the work to people he believed were Mexican drug dealers.

[Black Star News Editorial]

Very strange that Iran, fully aware that the U.S. and NATO had just bombed Muammar al-Quathafi out of Tripoli would contemplate the assassination of the Saudi ambassador to the United States, on American soil.

That's what the U.S. government has reported, in announcing the foiling of the alleged plot. Of course, in this world, anything is possible. Still, many questions have been raised.

To be sure, the Iranian regime despises the Saudi monarchy. It sees Riyad as suppressing the rights and aspirations of Shiite Muslims in Bahrain. Saudi Arabia earlier this year sent its military into Bahrain to crush a popular uprising after it seemed the majority Shia would topple the minority Sunni who govern the country.

Iran would like to see the collapse of the monarchy in Bahrain, probably as well as in Saudi Arabia itself for that matter. So, it's not unlikely that someone in Iran could authorize a plot to take out ambassador Adel al-Jubeir.

Yet many people find it interesting that Iran would dare carry out such a deed on United States soil; knowing full well that the nation would rally around the administration for some measure of military response.

Questions have also been raised as to why the Iranians, as the government reported, relied on an Iranian American, Mansour J. Arbabsiar, who is a used car salesman; he in turn reportedly outsourced the work to people he believed were Mexican drug dealers.

Again, anything in this world is possible.

Perhaps additional information will be revealed in coming days about this so unusual plot that so far has raised more questions than answers. The New York Times reports that a member of Parliament in Iran said “no doubt this is a new American-Zionist plot to divert the public opinion from the crisis Obama is grappling with.”